The subject matter described herein relates generally to surface mounted connectors, and more specifically, to a socket connector assembly that is mounted to a circuit board.
The ongoing trend toward smaller, lighter, and higher performance electrical components and higher density electrical circuits has led to the development of surface mount technology in the design of printed circuit boards and electronic packages. Surface mountable packaging allows for the connection of a package, such as a computer processor, to pads on the surface of the circuit board rather than by contacts or pins soldered in plated holes going through the circuit board. Surface mount technology may allow for an increased component density on a circuit board, thereby saving space on the circuit board.
One form of surface mount technology includes socket connectors. Socket connectors may include a housing that is mounted to a circuit board with an array of contacts joined to the circuit board or to a substrate of the socket connector and electrically coupled with the circuit board. The socket connector and circuit board may be referred to as a circuit board assembly. The contacts in the array may be disposed such that an electronic package, such as a computer processor, is lowered onto the contacts within the housing of the socket connector. The contacts are used to transfer both power and data signals between the electronic package and the circuit board assembly. The contacts may be conductive receptacles that receive pins of the electronic package (or vice-versa) to transfer the power and data signals therebetween.
Providing the contacts on the substrate or board of the socket connector does have its shortcomings. In order to mate the pins of the electronic package with the receptacles of the socket connector (or vice-versa), a relatively significant force must be applied on the electronic package in a loading direction toward the substrate or board. If too large, this force may cause structural bending of the socket connector and the circuit board assembly, thereby reducing performance of the circuit board assembly. If too small, this force may not mate all of the pins with the receptacles.
Additionally, locating all of the contacts of the socket connector on the substrate or board limits the number of contacts that may be used to communicate data signals. For example, if some of the contacts are used to transfer current from the circuit board to the electronic package to power the electronic package, than these contacts may be unavailable to also communicate data signals.
A need exists for a socket connector that reduces the force required to mate an electronic package with the connector and/or that increases the contacts that are available to communicate data signals between the electronic package and the socket connector.